Media walls generally look best if they echo the architecture of the home. Cabinetmaker True studies the trim throughout the house and runs matching base and crown molding across the front of the built-in. He’s also fond of incorporating fluted pilasters and arches when appropriate to break up the unit’s rectilinear lines.

This living room gets added drama with a white back-painted glass mantel and fireplace surround that replaced a traditional paneled fireplace. The glass-and-metal mantel is kept sleek thanks to minimal accessories. The key here is to vary the height of the accessories to keep the eye moving along the space.

Kids love ottomans - and vice versa. Ottomans are child friendly - if a small child falls off an ottoman he or she is unlikely to come to any harm. They can be upholstered in child-friendly fabrics and can offer them a playing surface when they are sitting on the floor. They can be used to sit in front of the TV with a games controller and used as a hurdle in the hall for racing or as a horse when riding!

Texture twist. You can use texture when combining a fireplace and television on the same wall. The extra texture actually makes the components subtler; the eye skims over the TV and fireplace instead focusing on the wood stone and cubbies. Even if your fireplace is front and center you can camouflage it by using the same neutral colors for the firebox as the surrounding stone.